Sister Leonia came to the Virginia Peninsula in 1952 to oversee the transition of the old Buxton Hospital, to the new Mary Immaculate Hospital. She did everything from accounting and cleaning, to patient care and nurse training. Two short years after Mary Immaculate Hospital’s doors first opened, it became the first accredited hospital on the Peninsula thanks largely to the dedication of Sister Leonia.
Today, Sister Leonia is a Fellow in the American College of Health Administrators and a Licensed Social Worker. In addition to making her daily rounds, she raises money for the American Heart Association, Saint Francis Nursing Center, and many other causes. She is the biggest supporter of fund raising events, baking at least 10 cakes for every bake sale (and there are many) held at Mary Immaculate. When asked to share her secret of success, “It’s no secret” she says, “just refuse to get upset, refuse to be stressed, and keep going.” If you are curious about her age just ask her, she will laugh and tell you she doesn’t care about age, it is just a number. Then she will smile and say “87.”
What could Sister Leonia be working so hard to do? The answer is simple, “Keeping an eye on everything,” she says. And that is exactly what she does. Her day starts at the hospital chapel for Mass, then she makes her rounds to all departments, from administratio
n, to medical records, then visiting the patients, doctors and nurses. She keeps Mary Immaculate on the straight and narrow.